--- title: "It’s No Secret: Running a Small Business is Hard Work! Here’s the Top 4 Destructive Mistakes That Could Make or Break YOUR Success!" description: "It’s No Secret: Running a Small Business is Hard Work! Here’s the Top 4 Destructive Mistakes That Could Make or Break YOUR Success!" image: https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Imported_Blog_Media/Small-Business-Success.jpg --- [Skip to the main content.](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success#main-content) [![OTT powerd by VN big](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OTT%20powerd%20by%20VN%20big.png?width=500&height=175&name=OTT%20powerd%20by%20VN%20big.png "OTT powerd by VN big")](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com) [![OTT powerd by VN big](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OTT%20powerd%20by%20VN%20big.png?width=500&height=175&name=OTT%20powerd%20by%20VN%20big.png "OTT powerd by VN big")](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com) - [Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/) - [Managed It Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/managed-it/) - [Cybersecurity](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/cybersecurity/) - [Cloud Solutions](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/cloud-solutions/) - [Compliance](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/compliance/) - [Industries](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/industries/) - [Resources](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/resources/) - [Blog](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog) - [About](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/about/) - [Client Testimonials](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/testimonials/) [415-294-5250](tel:4152945250) [Client Portal](https://portal.Valeonetworks.com) Toggle Menu Toggle Menu [415-294-5250](tel:4152945250) [Client Portal](https://portal.Valeonetworks.com) - [Services *Toggle Menu*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/) - [Managed It Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/managed-it/) - [Cybersecurity](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/cybersecurity/) - [Cloud Solutions](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/cloud-solutions/) - [Compliance](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/compliance/) - [Industries](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/industries/) - [Resources *Toggle Menu*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/resources/) - [Blog](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog) - [About *Toggle Menu*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/about/) - [Client Testimonials](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/testimonials/) - Example Link - Example Link - Example Link [*Facebook*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success#0) [*Instagram*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success#0) [*LinkedIn*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success#0) [*Twitter*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success#0) [*Youtube*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success#0) [*Medium*](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success#0) 2 min read # It’s No Secret: Running a Small Business is Hard Work! Here’s the Top 4 Destructive Mistakes That Could Make or Break YOUR Success! [Lance Stone](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/author/ulisticadmin) : Nov 24, 2014, 2:08:22 PM [Managed IT Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/tag/managed-it-services) ![Small Business Success](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Imported_Blog_Media/Small-Business-Success.jpg?width=200&name=Small-Business-Success.jpg)If running a business were easy, everyone would do it! No, this is hard work: between managing employees and figuring out how to attract customers better than the many competitors that are also competing for that same small pool of potential customers, it can be a real headache to keep your head above water as a business owner. Small businesses (10 – 50 employees) are particularly difficult to run. It’s so hard that most small businesses don’t make it to 5 years before they fail, and those that do succeed only see meager, if any, profits for a long time. Let’s go over the 4 most common issues that small businesses face and how they can overcome these problems to not only stay open, but also make enough money to make all the trouble of running a business worthwhile: **Not Charging Enough for Goods and Services:** It seems like simple economics that if you’re a small shop in a world of Walmart’s and Costco’s, you’re going to have to offer low prices in order to attract customers. Slow your roll there, cowboy. You have to strike an appropriate balance between low price and profit margin, lest you price yourself out of business. Don’t feel greedy about imposing a high mark up on your products: only businesses as big as Walmart and Costco have the infrastructure to make money with low prices and a microscopic profit margin. **Bad Marketing:** When it comes to a logo and an overall graphic design and color scheme for your brand, you’ll be wise to heed this advice: keep it simple, and keep it clearly defined. Think of the most successful companies of all time, like Nike. Nike’s logo is little more than a stylized check mark. And yet, this simple shape serves as the perfect logo for an athletics product manufacturer. It embodies swiftness, smoothness, and motion; adjectives you would associate with an athlete. Hire a good marketing agency that can come up a similar idea that is both simple and is a fitting symbol for what your business does. Also, pick two or three colors for your brand and stick with them. Anything more and you will have too much going on to stick in the heads of customers. **Unrealistic Expectations:** Everybody wants to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs and hit the IPO jackpot. And they want it immediately. As we said earlier, most companies don’t even make it past the 5-year mark, let alone become tropical island dwelling, Bengal tiger owning multimillionaires. If you’re lucky enough to make significant profits over a period of time, be sure to save some of it for rainy days rather than staking it all on risky investments. **Not Enough Market Research before Product Releases:** When you don’t have a huge amount of funding, it can be tempting to skimp on market research and save as much money as you can in the process of developing and releasing a product or service. Who needs market research anyway? You know enough through direct contact with your customer base to not waste money on a bunch of stat-crunching eggheads, right? Wrong. There’s a reason why every major company does oodles and oodles of market research before they roll something out. Whatever it costs to perform market research will pay for itself with a product more finely tuned to customers’ needs, resulting in extra sales and additional customer satisfaction. **Looking for more information to help you succeed as a small business owner? Give us a call at {phone} or send us an email at {email}.** - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) #### ![BusinessOwnerGuidetoM&A-1](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BusinessOwnerGuidetoM%26A-1.png?width=303&height=209&name=BusinessOwnerGuidetoM%26A-1.png) #### Download our eBook*THE ULTIMATE ROADMAP TO CMMC COMPLIANCE* by filling out the form below! [![The Long-Awaited iPhone 6 Will Be Here Sooner Than You Think – Here’s What You Can Expect!](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Imported_Blog_Media/187625854.jpg)](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/the-long-awaited-iphone-6-will-be-here-sooner-than-you-think-heres-what-you-can-expect) #### [The Long-Awaited iPhone 6 Will Be Here Sooner Than You Think – Here’s What You Can Expect!](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/the-long-awaited-iphone-6-will-be-here-sooner-than-you-think-heres-what-you-can-expect) [Lance Stone](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/author/ulisticadmin) : May 12, 2014, 12:41:32 PM While the iPhone 5S is less than six months old, there’s been a lot of rumors about its replacement. And if previous versions are any indication, the... [Managed IT Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/tag/managed-it-services) [Read More](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/the-long-awaited-iphone-6-will-be-here-sooner-than-you-think-heres-what-you-can-expect) [![Disaster Scenarios Can Strike at Any Moment – Here’s How to Make Sure Your Business is Protected!](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Imported_Blog_Media/Disaster-Recovery-Plan-2.jpg)](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/disaster-scenarios-can-strike-at-any-moment-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-business-is-protected) #### [Disaster Scenarios Can Strike at Any Moment – Here’s How to Make Sure Your Business is Protected!](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/disaster-scenarios-can-strike-at-any-moment-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-business-is-protected) [Lance Stone](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/author/ulisticadmin) : Aug 2, 2014, 1:47:00 PM Many events in history mark disaster situations where data and information has become vulnerable. Situations like 9/11 or Hurricane Sandy are just a... [Managed IT Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/tag/managed-it-services) [Read More](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/disaster-scenarios-can-strike-at-any-moment-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-business-is-protected) [![There are many benefits to cloud computing that your business is missing out on. Here’s a list on why cloud is much more progressive and timely.](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Imported_Blog_Media/cloud-experts.jpg)](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/there-are-many-benefits-to-cloud-computing-that-your-business-is-missing-out-on-heres-a-list-on-why-cloud-is-much-more-progressive-and-timely) #### [There are many benefits to cloud computing that your business is missing out on. Here’s a list on why cloud is much more progressive and timely.](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/there-are-many-benefits-to-cloud-computing-that-your-business-is-missing-out-on-heres-a-list-on-why-cloud-is-much-more-progressive-and-timely) [Lance Stone](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/author/ulisticadmin) : Jul 16, 2014, 12:11:55 PM Unlike large organizations which operate on large amount of resources, small businesses are reluctant when it comes to adopting new IT systems.... [Managed IT Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/tag/managed-it-services) [Read More](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/there-are-many-benefits-to-cloud-computing-that-your-business-is-missing-out-on-heres-a-list-on-why-cloud-is-much-more-progressive-and-timely) ![OTT White logo](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/VN%20-%20Division%20Logos/OTT%20Logo/OTT%20White%20logo.png?width=524&height=140&name=OTT%20White%20logo.png)   ##### About About On Time Tech is an IT Support and Computer Services company serving California. We provide services to the areas in and around We know businesses like yours need technology support in order to run highly-effective organizations. Leverage pro-growth technology services for your company now. ##### Explore On Time Time Explore On Time Time - [Our Services](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/our-services/) - [Industries](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/industries/) - [Resources](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/resources/) - [About](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/about/) - [Contact](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/contact/) ##### Contact Contact **San Francisco:** 1717 Fifth Ave San Rafael, CA 94901 [415-294-5250](tel:4152945250) Business Hours: M-F: 8AM-9PM - [Privacy Policy](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/privacy-policy/) © 2026 On Time Tech [*Facebook*](https://www.facebook.com/ontimetechsf/)[*Twitter*](https://twitter.com/on_time_tech?lang=en)[*LinkedIn*](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ontimetech/)[*YouTube*](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCubqs9PU_WWF-RFhfK9xNpw) [![Alura White logo](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/VN%20-%20Division%20Logos/Alura%20White%20logo.png?width=295&height=115&name=Alura%20White%20logo.png)](https://alura.valeonetworks.com/) [![Next.I.T._White-Logo](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Next.I.T._White-Logo.png?width=328&height=136&name=Next.I.T._White-Logo.png)](https://next-it.net/) [![White-OTT-Logo-1-768x253](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/White-OTT-Logo-1-768x253.png?width=313&height=103&name=White-OTT-Logo-1-768x253.png)](https://www.ontimetech.com/) [![Valeo-Logo-White (1)](https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Valeo-Logo-White%20(1).png?width=288&height=123&name=Valeo-Logo-White%20(1).png)](https://valeonetworks.com/) *Return to Top* ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Lance Stone", "url" : "https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/author/ulisticadmin" }, "dateModified" : "2024-01-10T16:37:17.035Z", "datePublished" : "2014-11-24T19:08:22.000Z", "headline" : "It’s No Secret: Running a Small Business is Hard Work! Here’s the Top 4 Destructive Mistakes That Could Make or Break YOUR Success!", "image" : [ "https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hubfs/Blog%20Images/Imported_Blog_Media/Small-Business-Success.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/blog/its-no-secret-running-a-small-business-is-hard-work-heres-the-top-4-destructive-mistakes-that-could-make-or-break-your-success", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://ontimetech.valeonetworks.com/hubfs/OTT%20-%20Color%20Logo.png" }, "name" : "Valeo Networks" } } ```